I feel like I’m slowly becoming the grouchy blogger who proclaims everything on television is crap. I really, really, don’t want to be that guy, but unfortunately, this midseason just isn’t quite cutting it. So far, Episodes and Shameless have been the only midseason shows I’ve really enjoyed (though SyFy’s upcoming Being Human, which I’ve seen the first three episodes of, will soon join that list). Perhaps at the top of the hype list, though, was NBC’s comic book actioner The Cape, which I’ll admit looked really good. I regret to tell you, though, that it wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be. And, with the high expectations I saw floating around the internet, it won’t cut it for many of you guys, either.
Let me get this straight: The Cape isn’t a bad show. While the second hour was a bit tedious, I particularly enjoyed the first one. But the difference between the two hours was enough of a warning sign. The pacing was completely uneven — the story seemed to absolutely fly by in the first episode, with not twenty minutes passing between Faraday’s ‘death’ and the birth of The Cape. The pacing was indeed comic-bookish, and worked to tell a pretty good origin story. It moved quickly enough to draw me in. Did it strike me as much as the series premiere of Heroes did back in 2006? No, Heroes was much, much better in its heyday than The Cape was tonight.
But it wasn’t until the second hour of The Cape that I really yearned for the more lighthearted season one Heroes, which had a certain humanity to it that The Cape, despite copious flashback scenes, simply didn’t have. The second hour of the series also lost all the momentum set by the first hour. While we were going at a hundred miles per hour by the end of episode one, episode two brought it down to a dead halt, essentially. Would it have been better if the two episodes had aired separately? I’m almost certainly inclined to say yes — if the two hadn’t been so tightly juxtaposed, I might have found the second episode more enjoyable. Instead, I got jet lag of the boredom variety.
I mentioned characterization earlier, and unfortunately, that’s where the show was really lacking. Chess and Orwell were only memorable because they’re played by two great television actors (James Frain and Summer Glau, respectively). It was fun to see the two of them on screen. Everyone else? Not as much. The only character who was memorable on his own merits was Max Malini (Keith David), who had some of the show’s only really funny moments in the first episode (though he proved disappointing in the second).
And a circus in a superhero show? How original. “The Circus of Crime” no less? Makes Heroes season four look like Carnivale.
Will I watch The Cape again? With the undeniably great Being Human coming up in the same Monday time slot, I have to say no — though I can’t help but think I would have tuned back in if NBC hadn’t given us that second episode so close to the first. C+
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With all the Superheroes out there, they had to go with this?
The jammies look like rags, I understand NBC was one of the nets that turned down Wonder Woman idiots.
I did record it and will watch, much as I didn't care for the trailers
So the three shows you've liked so far:
One Is a co-production with the BBC (Episodes)
One is a remake of a BBC production (Being Human)
One is a remake of a Channel 4 (UK TV channel) production (Shameless)
I think that says a lot of positives for the UK TV industry as a whole.
I already seen it.I had no idea what it’s Cape about. I just know that Izabella Miko is on it. Love her. She radiates beauty. I don’t know why she hasn’t hit big yet. She has the look and she is an incredible actress funny and smart.Wish I could see more of her in show.
I loved her interview on LA Talk Radio.
I already seen it.I had no idea what it's Cape about. I just know that Izabella Miko is on it. Love her. She radiates beauty. I don't know why she hasn't hit big yet. She has the look and she is an incredible actress funny and smart.Wish I could see more of her in show.
I loved her interview on LA Talk Radio.
I already seen it.I had no idea what it's Cape about. I just know that Izabella Miko is on it. Love her. She radiates beauty. I don't know why she hasn't hit big yet. She has the look and she is an incredible actress funny and smart.Wish I could see more of her in show.
I loved her interview on LA Talk Radio.
Oh, yeah! :)
I've really been waiting for this one!
For one, unlike "Family"-something something, it wasn't dumbed down to a family friendly/silly comedies-demographic.
And I found the concept pretty..interessant.
Like a good indie super hero comic.
Summer Glaud, mmmh :'3
Screw the haters! They just love to hate, and hate to love!
Anyway, love the concept, I can't wait to see more over-the-top villains like we've only alluded to.
Anyone got a Darkman-vibe from this? Also a Journeyman-vibe, and it better nto be cancelled by the end of the season .
I like that The Cape isn't too complicated like another freshman NBC series, "The Event," and not as burdened with mythology as "Heroes" was.
i liked it it wasnt the best show out there but its good enuff for a little kick of super hero till thersday when i watch misfits. and heres to the author the cape has no powers the hero lerned to do magic using the cape the cape is just a cape.
I did watch The Cape and I thought it was very well done. The first hour moved at a very good pace. Lots of things needed to be established. The second hour was a bit slower – as expected – and lent itself to developing the major players. I thought the casting was fantastic. A good mix of old and new and I liked the fact the casting included minorities and – don't laugh – a midget other than Vern Troyer. There was plenty of action, laughs, cars, magic and that fat guy from BORAT even had a role and one of the best lines in the two-hour show
love love love it all my children were loveing it. Something new is allway's good. My son's 7,10,12,14 really loved it they found a new super hero. it's more of what we need.they recorded it and even whachted it again and again.Remmber it's not only adult's whaching also kid's my kid's so thank you for putting up something different something that my kid's enjoyed.hopefully those who think different eaither don't have kid's or are not a kid at heart. Remmber batman,spiderman,superman, what ever happend to those super hero's it's about time we seen a new one.
I love the Cape. It's fantastic. I know that many people think that banking NBC's future on a superhero show is kind of dumb, but I love this. There don't appear to be any actual superpowers, and it's kind of pulp gritty, like Batman, but there's more to the Cape than meets the eye.
This show isn't meant to be deep, or melodramatic. It's FUN. Pure, unadulterated pulp heroic fun. I cried tears at the cheesy angles when they tried to make things look like comic book panels. I love the theme ideas and most importantly, that this guy is doing all this out of a comic book that he reads to his son. It's a classic reversal.
I LOVED it!! Shades of the 60's “Batman!!” It was cheeky, fun, and entertaining.
The scene where Max thought he was dying, gave a fabulous speech, only to realize that he wasn’t dying: Fabulous!
The scene with the public official in his office where the two had a conversation about the Cape’s name and the fact that he wasn’t wearing a cape: LOL!
The scene in the grocery store where the owner comments on “The Cape” as a name for a superhero. So funny!
I will be watching. It’s the best think I have seen in a long time. And I saw it only because I was awake and looking for something to watch. The ads don’t do it justice. The description could be better as well. When I read the description, I thought it was a dark, dramatic, threatening Robert DeNiro-in-his-younger-days type thing. Anyway, I will be watching.
“The Cape” was to comic book t.v. shows as “Buffy” was to vampire t.v. shows. “The Cape” may end up being as he said a “cult” show but it will lead the way to more and more comic book t.v. shows. I personally enjoyed the cape and enjoy the characters a lot, especially the villains. I like Vinnie Jones as “Scales” and I hope they can add a couple more “Circus” evil-doers to the mix in the near future. More people should enjoy the fact that it is a man who uses his strength and uses his training instead of flying around in tights. It also doesn’t hurt to throw a little smoke bomb and dissipater.